Toe box for boots or shoes



Sept. 23, 1930. I H F, ELLlOTT 1,776,421

TOE BOX FOR` BOOTS OR SHOES Filed May 22, 1929 l 2 Sheets-Shea?l l Sept. 23, 193g. I H F1 E| |01'T 1,776,421

TOE BOX FOR BOOTS OR SHOES Filed May 22, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 s f UNITED STATES;

PatenteclSept. 23, 1930 PATENT OFFICE l Ireen: F. ELLIOTT', OFfsT. LOUIS COUNTY, iviI'ssoURLAssIeNoR To INTERNATIONAL `siIoR COMPANY, or sT." Louis, iviIssoURI, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE i TOE BOX FOR BOOTS OR SHOES Application filed May 22, l1929. Serial NO. 364,991.

Vv'lfhfisinvention relates to boots or shoesV and "has-special reference toy thetoe portionsv thereof, vand an Objectis toprovide a boot -or shoe having-'embedded or enclosed within the toe portion thereof, thaty is to say, confined between the toe capand the toe portion of thefshoe upper, a device or means that func- 7 tions asa heat ,insulator so as to protect the ,toes of the wearer from being injured by heavyweights dropping on the toes of the sh'oes, etc.

,Thefpresentinvention comprises a novel devicel or meansfenclosedor confined. be-

;tweenthe toe nand the'v toe-portion of the f, shoe upper Vfor obtainin the desirable results'or effects Of'protectingthe toes o f the .wear'er'from' becoming burned when the 'shoes areV near or in Contact with'A heated 'objects Mormate'rials, and also'to protect the toes of .the wearers V`from Linjury resulting from striking against lsolid, `ob]ectsgor articles, or

from dropping heavy objects on thetoes.

yOther objects will appear'from the foll 'p lowingdescription, reference being made to the drawings in which Figjl is. a plan'vi ,Figi v2 isa vertical longitudinal sectional l f FigJS is a verticalcross sectional vView ape proximatel'y ontle linefB-B of Fig. 1.

f Fig.v 4 is a plan viewV of one form'of thev device that is interposed betweenl the toefcap `and the toe portion of the shoe upper toobtain the advantages of this invention.

. Fig'l is al crosssectional view approxifiiiately' on ytheliiie 5%-5vr of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is aplan vien7 of the toe portion'of Ta shoeupper having another formof the in- `v`veiition'embodied thei'ieim'a part of the cap longitudinal sectional view'approximately on the line 7*-47 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a'vertical crossrsectional view aplPrQLXliHlete-r @e #latines-.8 @Fia s form.

"w, `of thev toe portion .of ay ,shoeliaving `my invention embodied therein, a part. ofthe toe cap being lorokeiiv La viay` to showy my improved guard.

Fig. 9 is a plan view lof an alternative form of the device from that shown in Fig. 4.

Fig yl0, is a cross sectional vview approximately on the line l0-10 of Fig. 9. The present inventioncomprises a device, preferablysuch as that shown, including a section l of woven wire orwire screening enclosed and conined and secured or embedded between two similarly shaped sections orV plies of flexible and pliable material. As shown, these sections of flexible and pliablematerial includea sectionyEZ at one side of the screen l and a section 3 at theother side of the'screeiir l. One or the other or both of the sections 2 and 3 may be a rubberized composition or other material or substance capable vof being Y vulcanized so that when subjected to lieatit will penetrate thoroughly `and Ell the interstices of the screen lf and,` when cooled, will resume ay satisfactory pliable, non-liquid AgainstV one of the plies, inl the present -iiistance,fthe play 3, a ply 4 of Vasbestos or' other non-combustible heaty resisting 'substanceror material is secured. fThis ply 4 'may be attached to the remaining structure bywire fasteners 5 forcedthrough said ply 4 and the remaining structure and clinched, or'by other appropriate attaching devices.'

'This device is'bent and` shaped tok fill up the toe portionof the shoe upper 6 so as to enclose andshieldand guard said toe portion; the lower marginal edge 7 (Figs. 2 andx).

which istlie curved cdgeS (Fig. 4) being-` close to or engaged by the fastening `means 9 whereby the shoe upper is attached to the sole. A f

'In this arrangement the ply 4 is on the up- 'perside of the device. The toe cap ,l0 is ape :plied to enclose` and confine this guard `and l'f has its lower marginal edge secured between ythe-upper and the sole, andV its' upper and yrear* marginal edge attached.V to the shoe upper by yrows of stitching 1l. ','The rowsof stitching 1l are beyond therear edge of the f guard device that is interposed between ythe cap 10 and the toe portion of the shoe upper,

while the edge 8 havingabutting or engaging con tact with the rigid part of the shoe construction adjacent to the fasteners 9, is securely held. Moreover, when this device is bent to shape it will retain theshape in which it is bent. For,`although characterized by a certaindegree or resiliency, the wires ofthe screen 1 are strained so as to effect a molecular change sufficient to cause the device to retainVV the desired shape and vformation for applica tion upon the toe portion of the shoe upper.'

l In the variation of the device shown in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, the guard or shield comprises l a section 12 ot 'woven wire or wire screening.

Against one side of the screen l2 a section 13 of appropriate pliable material islaid. lThe oppositeside of the screen lSis covered by 'a section ll'having the characteristics of thev section 4, that is to say, the section 11i is noncombustible and isheat resisting. Upon the section 111 a section lioiipliable material is laid and these .parts are fastened' oresecured together by appropriate means such asv the wire fastenersr 16 passing through` said parts and being clinched.` 1

This device is bent-and shaped to lilll up the toe portion of fthe shoe upper 17, the lower marginal edge 18 (Figs. 7 and 8) wliich'is the covered edge r19"(l`igl 9). abutting against a Vtion.

r the shoe uppery by rows-otstitching 22. The

rows of stitching 22y are beyondV the 'rear edge Oi'i the guardr device that is interposed between thecap 21 and the toe portion of the shoe upperkl, while the edge 19 abutsagainst a rigid part of the shoe structure and has abutting or engaging contact with the `fasteners 2,0 and issecurely held. This device will retain its shapeand, although characterized by a desirable ydegree lor" resiliency, Vthe `wires of the screen 1-2k are strained so as toeiiect a molecu larchange suiiicient to cause the device to retainthei desired shape and formation for its intended purpose. i f' f Y The device may be otherwise varied within equivalent-limits without departing from the iature and principle characterizingthe inven- I do not restrict myself in any unessential respects but what I cla-i in andY desire to secure :by Letters Pa-tent is:

1. In' a boot or shoe, a slice upper, fa toe 1' bo-X covering-the toe portion ot'the shoe upper vand comprising al metallic section, a iieiibley substance seated upon the toe portion of the shoe upper and'coveringthe inner side yot said 'metallicsection`,;a non-combustible substance between said metallicA section and" the rjtoeV cap,.and atoe cap covering said toe bon and v 'having its rear edge attached to the shoe upper rearwardly ,of theupper edgerof said toe Y box. vv

2. In a boot 'or shoe, an upper, a toe box covering the toe portion of the upper and coinprising a section ci:reticulatedv metallic material having its lower edge adjacentV to the shoe sole andfits upper edge extending across s K the shoe upper, a flexible substance between said section of reticulated-.inaterial and the .slioe'uppen a toe cap hafvin'gl its rearedge tached to tlieshoe upper rearwardlyei the upper edge ofsaid toe bei; and'having its lower Vedge attached to the shoe sole, and a ply of non-metallic, rnon#combustible heat resisting substance between and said'toe cap.A

said reticulated material :a

ln a booter shoe, anuppeigfa toeVboii'V covering the toe portion oit the upper and ,gw-sing a sccti not reticulated'metallic material having lower edge l'adjacente to the shoe ksole and its `upper'edge extending across the shoe upper, atoe'cap havingits rear edge attached tothe shoev upper rearwardly of the upper edge of said sectionof reticulat'ed material and havingits lower ,edge attached to 'i the shoe'sole, anda ply of flexible, non-com-k bustible heat insulating materiall between said *sectionv 'of'freticulatefd;` material and said toe cap. f

4. In a'boot kor shoe, an upperpa toe box Y covei'ing'thetoe portion of the upper and comprising a section 'of' reticulated metallic material'. havingj 'its y lower edge adj acent' to the i sheesole anditsf-upper edgeeXtending across V"the, shoe upper member, aftoe jcap member haring its rear edgeattached to the shoe iipper member rearwardly 0f Jdleiipper edge of said section of reticulated material andhaving its lower edge .attaclie'dxto theshoefr sole, n

anda section of nonconibiistible heat insulating material between said reticulated material land one ofsaid. members.

, A5. In a -boot or shoe', anV upper, a toe box covering the toe portion offkthe upper and V'comprising a lsection of reticulated metallic 'material having its lower edge 'adjacent to .the shoe" sole and its upper cdge'extendirig across the shoe upper member, and aflexible icc' substance embedding said reticulated section and comprising a ply of lieatlinsulating noncombustiblematerial. j n 6. ln a boot or shoe,n an upper,a toe boX covering the toe portion of the upper'and comprising a section of Vreticulated *metallic* material having itslower edge adjacent to the the shoe upper member, aflexible substance prisingy a ply of heat insulating nonfcombustiblematerial, and a toe cap covering said ,toe box and .having its rear edge attached to tlie'shoe upper rearwardly of the upperv edge ot said section.v v i iis iso" 1 shoev solel and its upper edge extending across embedding saidA reticulatedl section and coin-` f 7. In a boot orfslioe, comprisingash'oeiip-V i per and a toe cap having its rearedge at.

^ shape of the toe portionlof the shoe upper and tached to said upper and its lower edge attached to the Shoe sole, the combination therewith of a toe boX covering the toe portion of the upper and composed of a ply of heat insulating non-combustible material enclosed y between the toe cap and the shoe upper, and a metallic member arched and curved to the I also enclosed between said toe cap and the shoe upper.

g per and a toe'cap having its rear edge at# r tached to saidupper and its Vlower edge fattached to the shoe sole, the combination there `with Vof a toe box covering the toe portion of the upper and composed of a ply of heat insulating non-combustible material enclosed .between the toe cap and the shoe upper, a

metallic member arched and curvedrv to the lshape of the toe portion of the shoe upper and Y valsoenclosed between saiditoe cap and the @lov shoe upper, andV means fastening said ply of heat insulating material to said metallic member. i

v HUGH F. ELLIOTT.

81 In a boot or shoe, comprising a shoe up-y 

